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Pottawattamie County board gives preliminary approval to RWE Clean Energy development agreement
Summary
The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors voted to grant preliminary approval to a development agreement with RWE Clean Energy LLC for the Pottawattamie Wind Project; the decision passed 3–1 with one supervisor absent and remains subject to final approval and contract details.
The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 3 granted preliminary approval for a development agreement with RWE Clean Energy LLC related to the proposed Pottawattamie Wind Project, a vote the board said is subject to final approval and contract completion.
The motion, made by Supervisor Keith Jones and seconded by Supervisor Susan Miller, passed with Supervisors Brian Shea, Miller and Jones voting yes and Supervisor Tim Wichman voting no; Supervisor Jeff Jorgensen was absent at the vote. The board’s action was taken after closed‑session discussion and acceptance of a recommendation from County Attorney Matt Wilber.
The preliminary approval does not finalize project terms, financing or permitting. County records show the board clearly treated the vote as a conditional step: legal and contractual details remain to be negotiated and must come back to the board for final authorization. The motion’s roll call and the limited record in the minutes show the board’s split: three in favor, one opposed and one absent.
Opponents on the board raised concerns in earlier meetings about terms, fiscal or permitting risk; the minutes record Wichman as the lone recorded dissent at the preliminary approval. Supporters said the agreement would advance negotiations and enable final legal review and community terms to be settled before final board action.
The board’s minutes do not record direct quotes from RWE or a detailed presentation on expected project benefits, tax impacts or community payments. The board did not adopt a final contract at the Feb. 3 session; further consideration and final approval will be required before the county binds itself to the agreement.
Next steps recorded in the minutes indicate staff and county counsel will continue negotiations and return to the board with the final agreement, documentation of conditions, and any related permits or requirements. The board’s action is recorded as a preliminary authorization to proceed with finalization rather than a binding commitment.
The board has previously handled other large projects and county contracts in closed session when legal and commercial terms were being negotiated; county policy and state law permit executive‑session legal consultations where attorney advice is necessary.
